Research Collaborations

OPA is one of the major funders to the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG), a nationally representative survey of men and women of reproductive age. The NSFG, which is administered by the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, provides valuable information to policymakers, health providers and researchers on family life, pregnancy, infertility, use of contraception, men’s and women’s health, and other fertility-related behaviors. It remains the primary source of data for estimating the number of women at risk of unintended pregnancy and the number and characteristics of women who use family planning services. OPA, as the lead agency for the Healthy People 2020 family planning objectives, relies heavily on estimates derived from the NSFG to provide reliable baseline data for many of these objectives. Currently in Cycle 8, the survey aims to reach approximately 40,000 Americans using a continuous interviewing methodology.

OPA also has a number of research collaborations with the Division of Reproductive Health (DRH) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, GA. In 2012-2013, OPA will be working with DRH to survey current attitudes and practices among a random sample of over 8,000 public and private sector family planning providers and health center administrators. The goals of the survey are to:

Describe differences in attitudes and practices between various providers (e.g. private vs. public sector);

Establish baseline attitudes and practices related to select contraceptive practices to be addressed in future provider training; and

Identify gaps between evidence and practice to inform development of educational interventions and provider tools to improve future contraceptive service delivery.

Content created by Office of Population AffairsContent last reviewed on August 3, 2016